Chapter 15: Exceptionally Gifted Lin Jingqiu

Lin Jingqiu now felt something indescribably strange. It was like an invisible hand slowly caressing her body, as though she were receiving a full-body massage. 

Her whole body was warm and cozy, incredibly comfortable. It was a feeling she had never experienced before during meditation. Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

She opened her eyes in confusion and saw a slightly pale face.

"Chen An..." she called out softly.

The boy's body swayed and then fell forward. Panicked, she quickly reached out and caught him in her arms.

"Misjudged..."

Mmm, pretty soft.

Chen An murmured under his breath, the faint scent at the tip of his nose lulling him.

"What do you mean, misjudged?" Lin Jingqiu was puzzled. 

She didn't quite understand what had happened, but seeing Chen An's obviously weakened state made her visibly concerned.

"Don't tell me your heart condition's acting up?" Suddenly recalling Chen An's old illness, she stood up abruptly, cradling him in her arms like a princess carry—with their roles reversed. 

She was surprised to find her strength had become rather terrifying. Carrying someone her age felt effortless, like she'd taken some sort of strength-enhancing drug.

But she didn't have time to dwell on that. She hurried toward the stairwell, determined to carry him down. Appearing like this on campus meant they'd likely be all over the class group chats by the next day—but Lin Jingqiu didn't care.

Then came Chen An's airy voice from her arms.

"No, just let me rest a bit and I'll be fine." Chen An was dazed. 

He never imagined that, as someone who had reached the Mahayana Realm, he'd nearly be drained dry by a girl who hadn't even reached the Qi Refinement stage... 

Sure, his current spiritual power wasn't even a fraction of what it used to be, maybe comparable to a Core Formation stage at best, but even so—in this age of declining spiritual energy—he was still the only true cultivator on this planet.

This also explained why the Spirit Gathering formation he set up at noon hadn't helped Lin Jingqiu reach Qi Refinement. If even he was nearly drained dry, how could a simple array be enough?

That's why he said he had misjudged her. Maybe it was because of the lack of spiritual power or his incomplete Spiritual Sea that he had underestimated her potential. 

After all, he'd only glanced at her before. Maybe she really was a genius.

"Are you really okay?" Lin Jingqiu looked down at him. 

Their faces were so close she could feel his breath on her skin. It was warm and made her cheeks flush.

Chen An saw the concern in her eyes and nodded.

"You can put me down now."

Hearing that, she suddenly snapped back to her senses. Her face flushed a deep red and even the strand of hair sticking up on her head stood straight. 

But she didn't immediately let go. Instead, she carefully set him down, then reached for his arm and helped him steady himself.

After all this, Lin Jingqiu felt like her face was on fire. Her whole body was burning, and her heart was pounding. She wasn't sure if Chen An's heart was acting up, but at this rate, hers definitely was.

Seeing her flustered, Chen An gently said, "It's okay. I won't hold it against you for taking advantage of me."

Her brows furrowed, and the embarrassment quickly turned into anger.

"You're the one who took advantage of me!" She shouted, feeling wronged. 

What the hell! How could he twist it like that?

Chen An withdrew his hand, not wanting to argue about this kind of thing.

"How are you feeling now?"

The question caught her off guard. She took a breath, forcing herself to calm down and check her condition.

Unlike her earlier attempt on the field, this time she clearly felt a thin stream of spiritual power flowing through her meridians. Thinking about everything that had just happened, she looked at Chen An with sparkling eyes.

"Did I... break through?" Her voice was filled with disbelief.

She remembered her master complaining that because the world lacked a proper introductory cultivation method, many Qingcheng Mountain disciples were stuck right outside Qi Refinement. 

Her master had also said that even though the higher-ups were close to developing a working method, the required spiritual materials were so extensive that most people wouldn't even have the resources to take the first step.

And now? She had just sat down and meditated briefly—and broke through?

"I think you already know the answer." Chen An's complexion was improving as he spoke, color returning to his face.

Hearing this, Lin Jingqiu froze.

She had really... stepped into the Qi Refinement stage?

But wasn't this supposed to be nearly impossible? Didn't the country still lack a complete method for guiding spiritual energy into the body?

Where were the countless pills and elixirs she was supposed to need?

She remembered clearly—not only her master but even her master's master had told her they'd all have to wait until joining the national Cultivation University before real progress could begin. 

Without that, even sects as powerful as Qingcheng Mountain couldn't supply the necessary resources.

It was an unspoken agreement: the government would provide resources, and the sects would supply talented disciples. Everyone got what they wanted—a win-win.

The government might seem like it got the short end, but long-term, it was a strategic investment.

"You... how did you do it?" Lin Jingqiu wasn't dumb. The evidence was right in front of her. There was no way she was just naturally gifted.

She looked at Chen An with a complicated expression.